For this episode of Unsettled, we’re doing something we’ve never done before: premiering a new song.

Aly Halpert makes music used in synagogues and Jewish song circles. If you listened to our last episode featuring Rabbi Miriam Grossman, you heard Aly’s tune for the prayer 'Ashrei' as part of a service led by Rabbis for Ceasefire. Today, Aly is releasing a new song called 'Ayeka': the first time she has used her music to directly respond to the violence in Israel-Palestine. 

Aly spoke to Unsettled producer Ilana Levinson about her inspiration for  'Ayeka', her writing process, and what she hopes the song will do for listeners.

'Ayeka' Spotify Pre-Save Link

Aly Halpert on Bandcamp

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, grief and rage have brought thousands of people to the streets to demand a ceasefire. One of the many groups that have mobilized in the U.S. is Rabbis for Ceasefire. One of these rabbis is Miriam Grossman, who led until recently the congregation Kolot Chayeinu in Brooklyn, New York.

Unsettled producer Ilana Levinson recently sat down with Rabbi Miriam to ask her what it means to be a rabbi for ceasefire, especially when so many rabbis and other Jewish leaders are standing in lockstep with the state of Israel. Where in Jewish texts and traditions does she find the call to oppose the war? How does she keep going?

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Aly Halpert.

The last time we featured Isam Hamad on Unsettled was a few days after the October 7th attacks, when Israel had just begun its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. At the time, Isam and his family — including his 93-year old father and a son with cerebral palsy — were still in their home in Gaza City. But a few days later, they were forced to evacuate south to the city of Rafah, near the Egyptian border.

Before this war, the population of Rafah was about 250,000. Now, it’s over a million, with many families living in tents and some on the streets. Isam lives in a three-story house with 46 other people. Recently, he was able to get a family reunification visa from Ireland, because one of his children was born there. But he’s still waiting for approval to leave.

In this episode, producer Ilana Levinson talks to Isam Hamad about leaving his home, living in Rafah, and the difficult choices ahead.

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.

Just before Thanksgiving, we asked listeners to call in and tell us about how they’re navigating conversations with their families, friends, and communities in this moment—as Israel responds to the October 7th attacks with unprecedented destruction in Gaza. What has worked in getting through to loved ones, and what hasn’t? How are people are managing these relationships, or coping with their feelings about them?

On this episode—a collaboration between Unsettled and Jewish Currents magazine's On the Nose podcast—Unsettled producer Ilana Levinson joins Jewish Currents editor-in-chief Arielle Angel and associate editor Mari Cohen to listen to clips from callers describing the ruptures in their families, their attempts to repair relationships while sticking to their values, and their strategies for getting through to stubborn loved ones. They explore questions of when it is our obligation to keep arguing, and when it’s better to take a break—or give up completely. And they zoom out to think about what this moment says about the future of Jewish American institutional life.

This episode was produced by Ilana Levinson and Max Freedman. Music by Nathan Salsburg.

As of Thursday, November 30th, a temporary ceasefire is in place between Israel and Hamas. The truce allows for an exchange of hostages who have been held in Gaza by Hamas since October 7th for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, and for desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. At this point, 69 hostages have been released by Hamas and 150 Palestinian detainees have been released by Israel.

Palestinian prisoners being released have been called terrorists, with an Israeli imposed ban on Palestinian families publicly celebrating the return of their loved ones who are being freed in the deal. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said, “expressions of joy are equivalent to backing terrorism.” But who are the Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons being released in this deal, and on what grounds are they being detained? 119 of the freed Palestinian prisoners are children. And more than half of them have never been charged with a crime.

This episode of Unsettled, originally published in February of 2022, covers Israel’s system of military courts and administrative detention of Palestinians. Milena Ansari, international advocacy officer at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, talks about the case Hisham Abu Hawash, a Palestinian administrative detainee who went on hunger strike for 141 days, while he was held in prison by Israel without charges or a trial.

(Photo: Addameer)

It's hard to find anyone in Israel who isn't shaken to the core by the magnitude of Hamas' attack on October 7. For many in Israel, their pain and shock has translated into support for bombing Gaza. But despite public pressure, some Israelis do voice opposition to the war - even people who have deep personal connections to the victims of October 7. One of these dissenting voices has been the comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi.

Since October 7, Noam has dedicated her social media platform not to comedy, but to painful, personal posts from her unique perspective as an Israeli Jew with a deep connection to her Palestinian neighbors. Noam grew up in Neve Shalom: a unique community in central Israel where Jews and Palestinians live together intentionally. In this episode, Unsettled producer Asaf Calderon speaks to Noam about her grief, her determination to speak out, and the possible consequences.

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions. 

Follow Noam Shuster-Eliassi on Instagram @noam_joon, on X @ShusterNoam, and on Facebook @therealnoamshuster. Read her recent writing for +972 Magazine, "Picking up the pieces of our grief."

It’s been a month since October 7, when Hamas fighters killed 1,400 Israelis and captured more than 200 hostages. It’s also been a month of Israel's retaliation: air raids and ground operations in the Gaza Strip that have killed almost 10,000 Palestinians, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to basic necessities. For the past month, Palestinians in the West Bank have also faced increased violence from settler-soldier militias. In this episode, we hear from the villages of Susiya and Umm al-Khair, where Israeli settlers have escalated their efforts to make Palestinians' lives unlivable.

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.

For more context on the South Hebron Hills, listen to all of Unsettled's previous reporting on the area, collected in this Spotify playlist. And follow these Instagram accounts:

• B'Tselem
• Center for Jewish Nonviolence
• South Hebron Hills Watch

On Friday, October 27th, Israel cut off internet in the Gaza Strip for 36-hours, as it expanded its ground operations. This total internet blackout left Gaza without the ability to communicate, both internally and with the outside world. Human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch warned that without the internet, their ability to document war crimes and other abuses had become increasingly difficult. The internet was restored on Sunday October 29th. Unsettled spoke with writer, translator and human rights advocate, Shahd Safi, both before and after the internet blackout about the conditions inside Gaza. 

You can read Shahd's writing about her experience of war on Gaza since October 7th here.

Last week, Producer Ilana Levinson talked to Arie Hasit at his home in Israel, in the midst of a deadly war. Arie and his family, including two small kids, have been spending much of their time in bomb shelters. After Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking 199 Israeli hostages, Israel responded by declaring war. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces have been heavily bombing the Gaza Strip,  cutting off access to electricity, water, food, internet, and supplies.  As of October 18th, over 3000 people in Gaza are dead, and one million are displaced after Israel sent orders for Palestinians in the Northern part of the Gaza strip to evacuate to the south. 

In this conversation, Ilana and Arie, who grew up going to the same synagogue and and summer camp discuss what it was like to be in Israel on October 7th, and what Israel's obligations are toward its own citizens as well as the Palestinian people of the Gaza strip as the war continues continues. 

Arie Hasit is the associate dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary, which trains Masorti (Conservative) rabbis for Israel and the international community, as well as runs pluralistic Jewish leadership programs. He worked for many years in congregational rabbinic work, and currently volunteers with pastoral care in his local community and with youth across Israel. He and his family live in Mazkeret Batya.

The United States has always been Israel’s strongest ally, and President Biden has pledged his steadfast support for Israel since Hamas's surprise attack over the Gaza border on October 7. Many American supporters of Israel and even Israeli officials have celebrated President Biden for his “moral clarity” in this moment. But others have heard something else from Biden: a "carte blanche" for Israel to respond with overwhelming force.

To better understand the U.S. role in this war, Unsettled producer Max Freedman speaks to Matt Duss: former foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, and now Executive Vice President at the Center for International Policy. They discuss the geopolitical context for Hamas's attack; how the U.S. provides diplomatic cover for Israel on the international stage; and why the Biden administration appears disinclined to restrain Israel from committing war crimes in Gaza.

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.

Referenced in this episode:

• President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Terrorist Attacks in Israel, October 10, 2023.
• President Biden: The 2023 60 Minutes Interview, October 15, 2023.
• Amir Tibon, "Bernie Sanders Initiates Congressional Letter Urging Trump to Change Gaza Policy In Light of Protests." Haaretz, April 13, 2018.
• Mikhael Manekin, "Why the Safety of Israeli Hostages Must Come First." The  New York Times, October 15, 2023.
• Matt Duss on X, October 17, 2023.

On Saturday, October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack across the Gaza border, killing more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking at least 150 Israeli hostages, most of whom are still captive in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded to the attack by declaring war and cutting off food, water, and electricity to the Gaza Strip. On Friday, October 13, Israel ordered 1.1 million people in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate as it prepares for a ground invasion, and Israeli air strikes have already killed over 2,600 people in Gaza. 

As this crisis unfolds, Unsettled is bringing you the voices of many different people who are affected by the violence, as well as expert analysis and context. Today, producer Ilana Levinson speaks to Isam Hamad: an organizer of 2018's Great March of Return, and manager of a medical equipment company in Gaza City.

Unsettled is produced by Emily Bell, Max Freedman, and Ilana Levinson, with support from Asaf Calderon. Music in this episode from Blue Dot Sessions.